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Wine aficionados and sommeliers the world over have been keeping hold of a little secret; Canadian wine. Accolades have been pouring in over the last few years for wines which boast Old World quality yet at New World prices. Most are organic and some are even biodynamic which are claimed not only to be healthier and tastier but also tend not to give you a strong hangover. Whereas most people look to California for North American wine get ready for Canada to soon be popping its cork on the world stage for all to enjoy.

Nestled a few steps away from the delightful Ebisu Garden Place is where you will find ‘Heavenly Vines’, an organic wine shop in Tokyo that sells only Canadian wine. Ontario native Jamie Paquin runs the place and will happily guide customers to a wine for them as well as going over the fascinating history of wine making in the country and the variety of regions with their distinctive climates and soil conditions. Keen to move the image of wine in Canada beyond that of it’s famous (and delicious) desert Icewine, Jamie is proud and enthusiastic to introduce the four key and distinct areas that are producing some of the very best wine in the world right now. They all lie in the prime growing zone of 30 and 50 degrees latitude north which is where you find all the key wine countries in Europe and North America. ‘Wine Spectator’ magazine claimed it is the “worlds least-known great wine zone”.

British Columbia is the biggest wine producing region in Canada. Home to mountains, lakes and the only desert in the country (yes, in Canada!) the varied climates create perfect conditions for whites such as Pinot Gris and Chardonnay while Merlot and Pinot Noir are among the outstanding reds.

Ontario is the largest region and its latitude, lakes and limestone bring forth quality and depth to flavours in whites such as Riesling and reds like Cabernet Franc.

Quebec is where you will find various sparkling and sweet wines with notable examples of Seyval Blanc and Sainte Croix coming from famed French grape varieties such as Vidal.

Nova Scotia is the smallest region and the beautiful green valleys are where most of the country’s superb sparkling wine is to be found. As good as any Champagne from France, Nova Scotia is quickly moving up the ranks of those that like the premium bubbly.

Is any of this healthy? I hear you ask. Organic, natural and biodynamic wines have grabbed the headlines in recent years. Organic and natural wines guarantee an all natural growing process while the biodynamic method offers a whole lot more for those who wish to take things to an even more ‘new age’ level of harmony between man and nature.

For Jamie Paquin the answer is more than the wine being organic and biodynamic but much more with the way it is drunk and appreciated. Wine may be the only alcohol that people don’t drink to become intoxicated. Wine is about refinement. It is about eating and talking with others. Above all it is a truly natural product that we enjoy in a measured way that enriches our life and those around us. What could be healthier than that? Many visitors to his organic wine shop in Tokyo have already discovered the secret and Paquin supplies wine for some of the top hotels in the city such as The Four Seasons, The Grand Hyatt and The Ritz Carlton as well as numerous restaurants across the country and even The Tokyu department store.

Making wine is a magic process of natural elements coming together to create a sublime drink. One could say that it is almost heavenly! Get ahead of the trend and find out what everyone will soon be talking about with a visit to the organic wine shop in Tokyo or order the wines online in the HealthyTOKYO Shop.